Love Hina Before HisStory
by SlippyTheWeasel
Summary: This story starts in 1988, 10 years before Keitaro shows up at Hinata-sou to become the kanrinin. It's my attempt at expanding on the backgrounds of the characters.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Love Hina. Ken does. I'm just along for the ride!

**Love Hina – Before His-story**

**Fanfic **

**Chapter One –Prologue, Early 1988: **

Four years have passed since Keitaro, Naru, and Mutsumi met and played as children at the old Hinata Inn.

Keitaro Urashima still misses his friends from his young childhood, with the exception of his cousin/aunt Haruka, of course, whom he still sees regularly. Keitaro is now just over nine years old, and is in elementary school, struggling through the fourth grade. Although he still visits occasionally in the summers, Keitaro vacations less than before at Hinata-sou. He misses Nana-chan, the little girl he made his promise to, and Mumu-chan, his other dear friend who moved away, but already his forgetfulness has caused him to no longer remember their names, and only in his dreams does he glimpse their faces. He sometimes dreams of Mumu-chan kissing his cheek, and confuses her with his promise girl.

Keitaro spent the summer after Naru left, when he was six years old, with his grandmother and his former cousin, now his aunt Haruka, at the Shinmei School of Swordsmanship in Kyoto. Unlike Haruka, he was unable to become comfortable with learning to fight, but he did have a knack for the more defensive styles of focusing his family's abilities. Keitaro, through simple self-preservation, has an instinctive knack for channeling his ki in a virtually undetectable manner, especially undetectable to himself, to heal him of injuries.

Not wishing to push him, Hina insisted Keitaro only be allowed to participate in the more offensive/attack styles if he was willing. This caused a breach between Hina and her son, Keishi, who desired Keitaro to become proficient in the Urashima Family style, as all the males had. Hina, as the eldest of the family, decided that Keitaro would be allowed to find his own path, with no overbearing influence from his family.

Keitaro was also, to the embarrassment of one or two in the Aoyama clan and the humorous delight of several of the Urashima's, the only non-family member that then two-and-a-half year old Motoko would allow to pick her up, smiling and patting his cheeks whenever he held her, or tapping his head with her little plastic sword. (Shades of things to come, perhaps?)

Naru Narusegawa, now just over seven years old, has recovered from her childhood illness and lives with her widowed mother. She is in the second grade in a small school in Tokyo, and is the terror of the little boys in her class. They've learned early on that to tease Nannie-britches is to court certain doom, in the form of a powerful kick to their shins.

Naru has developed the belief that her father 'went away' because he no longer loved her. She is starting to understand (wrongly) that if a man gets close to her, he'll leave her, and the thought of going through that again hurts too much. So, she pushes away any attempts by boys to get close to her, to the point where she no longer even has to try, as her reputation does the work for her.

It is in part because of this that it will still be several years before Naru's mother re-marries, since almost every guy she introduces to Naru is rejected by her daughter.

Mutsumi Otohime? She returned to Okinawa with the rest of her family two years later. Like Keitaro, she is also in the fourth grade, having been held back one year due to family forgetfulness to register her when she turned six, and just celebrated her tenth birthday. Things are easier for her in school than it is for Keitaro, if you discount the anemia and fainting spells she inherited from her mother.

Although she has memories of staying at Hinata while her mother worked there, Mutsumi's family, through forgetfulness rather than anything else, do not have much contact with their Urashima relatives in Japan. Mutsumi soon forgets specifics about her time with Keitaro and Naru, although she also remembers his promise to get into Tokyo University with little Naru.

The summer after Mutsumi's last visit to Hinata, as Keitaro was visiting the Shinmei School of Swordsmanship in Kyoto, Naru visited Hinata once more (as a child). Mutsumi got the three and-a-half year old girl to renew her promise to Keitaro get into Tokyo University, so that Naru would not forget.

And the others?

Mitsune Konno is ten years old, attending the same elementary school as Naru, but three grades ahead of her as a fifth grade student. Naru looks up to Kitsune, still known to most at this time as Mitsune, as the older sister she never had. Over time, the sisterly feelings they share morph into them becoming the best of friends. Mitsune has already developed an independent streak a mile wide, much to the chagrin of her parents, and has already started to earn the nickname 'the Fox' from her classmates, more from her antics than her looks, being only a third grader. The rest of it will develop (cough-cough) later.

Motoko Aoyama is five and a half years old. Her mother, having just completed grieving over the loss of her husband two years earlier, struggles to manage the Shinmei School of Swordsmanship and her two fast-growing daughters. Their mother keeps secret the fact that her late husband discovered early on that it is in Motoko that the true gift of the family's power resides. Fearing to lose such a strong youngster, Aoyama-san inadvertently puts too much pressure on the young Motoko to be her best.

Although Motoko adores her sister, and desires to be a great swordswoman, the seeds of adolescent rebellion are being planted as she watches her sister become (in her eyes at least) distracted by her 'male' companion. Motoko thinks her sister is turning her back on everything she has tried to instill in the young girl, but buries her resentment deep, blaming everything she believes her sixteen year old sister does is because of the influence of 'that man'.

Kaolla Su is just over three years old, and already shows remarkable aptitude with machinery. Proof in that she can disassemble almost every mechanical device in the family palace.

Unfortunately, her attention span doesn't cover putting things back together.

As she has just discovered her first computer, her parents, the King and Queen of Mol Mol, have serious discussions about what her future path should be. Her older relatives, Lamba and Amalla, being above average in intelligence but not the technical wiz that Kaolla appears to be, are not pressured to take a direction with their young lives as yet. Kaolla, loving her life and everyone around her, doesn't feel the pressures of being a member of the Molmolian Royal Family yet, but as she grows older, her desire for freedom and fun will conflict with her family's desire for her to take on her role as Princess of Mol Mol.

Shinobu Maehara is two and a half years old, and is the pride and joy of her parents, the owners of a small family restaurant in Hinata City. They have taken to spending their vacation time up at the old Hinata Inn, for the convenience of being close by. And because Hina Urashima, upon first meeting them, expressed genuine affection for their little daughter, and promised to take care of her anytime she wants to come up and play at the inn, they allow Shinobu to visit the elder Urashima quite often. That will end when she accidentally falls of the roof of the inn. While not injured, it traumatizes her mother to the point where she forbids Shinobu to ever go back up to the inn, later justifying her desire by claiming that the residents are 'not the kind of girls you should be around.'.

Nearly five-year old Kanako Nakai, recently orphaned, is now Kanako Urashima, having been adopted last November by Keishi and Yohko Urashima, Keitaro's parents. Withdrawn and lonely since the death of her mother and father, the only person Kanako opens up to is her adopted brother. Not having been an emotional child even before the loss of her parents, Kanako rarely smiles or laughs, and when she does, it is almost exclusively for her new brother.

Mei Kobayashi (Narusegawa) is a gleam in her mother's eye. That is, she hasn't been born yet. Oh, her mother is pregnant, she just hasn't started to show yet.

Sarah McDougal, well, let's just say she hasn't entered into any story as of yet…….For those who understand, her parents haven't done 'this or that' yet.

Haruka Urashima lost her parents nearly seven years ago, and was adopted by her grandmother, Hina Urashima, so gaining her birth-mother's family name. She is nearly fourteen, and is in her last year of middle school. She is friends with Seta Noriyasu, a sixteen year old freshman in Hinata High School. At her grandmother's request, Haruka spent several summers at the Shinmei School of Swordsmanship, honing her Urashima-style fighting skills by studying some of the Shinmei Techniques.

Seta Noriyasu, now sixteen, goes by his mother's maiden name Noriyasu. His family cast him out and disowned him at the age of eleven when he refused to agree to take over the family 'business', desiring in his heart to find a different path in life rather than the one set before him. Only his mother and a distant relative knows that rather than committing ritual suicide to atone for his (perceived) transgressions, as everyone else believes he did, he secretly fled Kyoto with her assistance to find a new life in Hinata City, helped by that particular distant relation to their clan (that left for personal reasons nearly sixty years before, a person who was shunned and has been forgotten by his clan for decades). He still thinks often of his mother and of his two sisters. His friends kid him for being held back his first year in high school because of his poor grades, and Haruka is very defensive of him.

Tsuruko Aoyama, seven years older than Motoko, is finishing her first year of junior high school. She has already shown remarkable ability with the sword and her control over her ki is the most impressive in generations, but is doing so poorly in school she has secretly decided to drop out and devote herself to her training. She is secretly (so she thinks) seeing a young non-martial artist high school student, and is considering his request to date.

Now some more obscure background. (Like the rest wasn't?)

Hina Urashima (Granny Hina), was born into the Urashima clan in 1920. Hina's mother, Shina Aoyama, was a niece of the current leader of the school, and her father, Keiske, was the elder of the Urashima clan and holder of the family lands in Hinata City. Although Hina's abilities were noted as extraordinary, her dwarfism biased the council against letting her ascend to any standing in the Shinmei School. During her studies at the Shinmei School of Swordsmanship, she fell in love with a young disciple of the school, a nineteen year-old fourth cousin named Kano Urashima, when she was sixteen.

While still un-married, Hina began a love affair with Kano in 1936. The Shinmei council, using that as an excuse, decided they had had enough of her, and ordered her to leave the school forever. In a fit of rage over their callous treatment of her, her lover Kano challenged the leader of the council to a duel of honor, and was seriously wounded. Hina heaped scorn on the Aoyama's, despite the fact her mother was of that clan.

Unable to continue his training because of his injuries, Kano and Hina left Kyoto the same year and settled in her family's inn, the Hinata Lodge. His health sorely affected from his previous injuries and the fighting he had been through on the mainland, Kano found himself bed-ridden, cared for by Hina, after the war in 1945. Hina's mother, grieving over the death of her husband, as well as almost all the other male relatives in the war, retired from running the Urashima clan and the Hinata-sou Lodge. Her last act before departing was to preside over the marriage of Hina and Kano.

As the oldest surviving child of Keiske Urashima at the age of twenty-five, Hina therefore gained the title of Elder, full ownership of Hinata-sou, all its grounds, and the fortune that her uncle, who had worked for many overseas corporations, had amassed. Several younger female cousins were asked and willingly assisted her in the day-to-day operations of Hinata-sou.

In early 1951, weakened in body from the wounds he had suffered in his duel with the master of the Shinmei School 15 years earlier and from the war, Kano's dying words to Hina were _"Hina, my one true love. Please do not be bitter. I would not have lived any other life than the one by your side, brief though our time has been. I have had many years to thinks about what has happened in the past. Promise me that you will not forever estrange yourself from your mother's family. The Aoyamas are a proud clan, and can be stubborn to a fault. A trait I fear we Urashimas share with them. Find it in your heart to bring the families together again someday, and heal the break between you all."_

Kano had, through the strength of his love for Hina, survived long enough to witness the birth of his two children, Yohko and Keishi in 1951. After the death of her beloved, Hina devoted herself to her two children and running the Hinata Lodge, with her two children starting to help around the inn when they were ten years old.

Yohko Urashima kept herself busy, taking on more responsibilities, including running the Hinata Tea House on her own, and did not find time for love until meeting Higuro Santo in 1970 when she was nineteen years-old. They had only one child, Haruka, four years later in 1974, but both Yohko and Higuro died in an automobile accident when the girl was seven years old.

Distraught over the loss of her daughter, and rather than allowing Haruka to be taken in by her uncle Keishi, Hina adopted her as her own daughter that same year and brought her to live at the Hinata Lodge.

Keishi Urashima, Yoko's fraternal twin brother, not desiring to be stuck running a hotel his entire life, had studied baking at a prestigious culinary school, and eventually started working in a small confectionery shoppe in Tokyo in 1975 when he was twenty-four years old. Marrying Yoko Kanagawa four years later, they had one child, Keitaro, in 1979. Keitaro resembles his great-grandfather Keiske Urashima in many ways, physically and emotionally, including his poor ability to learn anything quickly and a somewhat less than perfect memory.

Keishi buys out the owner of the shoppe in 1982 and becomes his own boss.

In 1983, five years before this story begins, Hina hears rumors of a quarrel in the Aoyama family. Secretly contacting the current head of that clan, Hina makes a tentative offer to assist her, which is willingly and gratefully accepted. Finding she has much in common with her counterpart, Hina decides that perhaps it was time to start healing the rift between their two families. She makes another offer to the head of the Shinmei School to welcome any others of her clan to Hinata if they ever need a place to stay away from Kyoto.

At the start of this story, only one older cousin, fifty-seven year old Rukiyo Urashima Takisawa, and Haruka remain at Hinata Lodge to assist Hina. As it is, the three women are more than enough to manage the inn, seeing how less and less people vacation in Hinata City, preferring the more modern attractions that have popped-up in other prefectures in Japan.

**[AN] If this works out right, this will be my longest story. If anyone wants to add or suggest an item, as long as it leads up to the canon of the Manga, just drop me a PM. No guarantees I'll accept the idea, but I will consider them.**

**If it doesn't work out, well, I already have two more chapters nearing completion. I can speed the story lines up and bury this pig.**

**Kitsune: "Took that lazy bugger Slippy long enough to get some more stories out! Ah've been hankering for another try at Keitaro. You like my new outfit? (twirls) What do ya'll think, Keitaro-san?"**

**Keitaro: "Gack!" Blood spurts from his nose as he flops backwards over the typewriter, causing the author to fnjvkldsva jas afojare9jv94 v 8#!**

**Kitsune looks at Keitaro, then at Slippy's glare. Shaking her finger (no, not that finger) at him, she reminds the author that "Su still has that mecha-Slippy, and she ain't afraid to use it on ya'll. So watch what ya'll say, okay sweetie?" She leans over and blows a kiss, her 'babies' threatening the buttons on her blouse.**

**Author: "Gack!" Blood spurts from his nose as he flops out the window, pancaking onto the driveway below.  
**

**Kitsune: "Heh heh. Ah still got it!"**


	2. Chapter 2

**Love Hina – Before His-story**

**Fanfic**

**Chapter Two –The Failing Inn.**

**early April, 1988. About Noon: **

It is a sunny Saturday in spring. Over seven years have passed since Yoko and Higuro Santo died. Haruka, nearly sixteen now, is still unused to the idea that her grandmother, Hina Urashima, has been her adopted mother for the last six and a half years, and still refers to her as 'Granny' out of habit and respect.

"Like things aren't crazy enough in my life as it is with Seta playing his pranks." she says under her breath, sneaking a smoke behind the annex while Hina is not watching (she thinks). "If he doesn't straighten up, he'll be held back again this year. Does that baka really believe he'll make it into the University at this rate?"

"I'm sure he'll find a way, dear" a voice behind her says. Nearly jumping into the air, Haruka spins to face Granny, the incriminating cigarette still in her hand. "After all, he isn't the kind of young man to quit just because things are tough. You should know that by now."

Surprising her, Granny tosses her a pack of cigarettes. "If you're going to smoke, child, at least have the lady-like manners to smoke a nice mild filtered brand, not those pungent filterless ones Rukiyo complains about. I can smell you a mile away for hours after you finish one of those." she says, a wink in her eye. "Maybe you should also consider a filtered cigarette holder, instead of chomping them like they're cigars. You aren't Clint Eastwood, you know."

Haruka blushes at the mention of her movie idol. She always has seen herself as growing up to be a tough-guy, like High Plains Haruka, or maybe a no-holds barred detective like Dirty Haruka. Haruka has a strong tom boy streak in her, and more often than not would rather fight boys than look at them. With the training she's received from Granny, complimented by time spent at the Shinmei School in Kyoto, she finds she is able to hold her own even against Seta, and beats him more times than not nowadays.

Smiling at her, Granny sips the tea she brought with her. Ignoring Haruka's blush, she states; "Another thing. Please try not to smoke behind the annex. Last thing we need is a fire back here. Finances the way they are, I'd hate to have to pay to replace that building if you accidentally burned it down."

Haruka looks at Granny. "I thought you had plenty of money set aside, Granny! Did something happen that I don't know about?" she asks, concern for her grandmother and the old inn foremost in her mind.

"Tut-tut child. My fortune is still intact. I was speaking with the general operating funds in mind. Why, I could buy this place ten times over and again if I had to. So don't you worry about the old inn." Granny replies, while patting the old stone wall beside her. "Besides, with your getting the Tea House when Rukiyo leaves this summer, I have to take into consideration my grandson as well. Keitaro's parents don't understand him like we do. The day will come when his desires and theirs will clash, and one way or another, he will be forced to make some hard decisions. As kind and gentle a young boy as he is, he has a stubborn streak as wide as the Pacific Ocean. That boy knows how to wait for what he wants."

Haruka lights up one of the cigarettes Granny gave her, and with a sideways look at the older woman, mutters sarcastically, "I wonder who he inherited that trait from?"

Looking down the hill at the back of the inn, Haruka continues. "Kei learned early on that interacting with females is hazardous to his health. Remember that little girl, Naru, who vacationed here each summer until her father died? The one who was always kicking Keitaro in the shins anytime he looked at another girl? Real possessive for a two and a half year old at the time if you ask me." she says, savoring the milder flavor of the cigarette in her mouth.

"Keitaro is too well mannered to stand up for himself or to pick fights, which goes a long way to explain why he has such a hard time with girls." Granny nods. "By the way, Naru's still a little terror, or so I've heard. She attacks any boy who even comes near to showing any interest in her at school."

Reflecting on how things have changed over the last five years, Hina says, "Then again, it has been difficult for her since her father died. Her mother tells me that Naru feels like he left her on purpose, because he didn't like his daughter for some reason. That girl's on track to develop a complex that'll make it difficult for her to accept any man into her life later on. It'll take someone with the patience of a god to cope with her and get her to open up and trust her feelings."

Looking at her watch, Granny says, "Speaking of which, Keitaro should be at the Tea House in half an hour. Don't let him show up and you not be there. He so looks forward to his talks with you, you know. He and Rukiyo don't get along so well. She says he's 'too wimpy' to be a true Urashima. But, each of us has our purpose, Rukiyo included." Granny laughs "Rukiyo should have met my father. Keitaro is like him in many ways, and no one would claim he was not a true Urashima. Of course, it took nearly twenty-five years for him to mature into his full abilities, both as a man and a fighter." Looking down the hill, she reflects, "Otherwise, he'd never have been able to convince mother to marry him."

Carefully grinding out her cigarette and placing the butt in her pocket, Haruka starts down the path towards the back of the inn. "I'll wash up and change quickly. No need for Kei to think I smell like an ashtray. And Granny?" Haruka says, holding up the cigarettes in her hand.

"Yes dear?"

"Thank you."

"Shush. If I tried to stop you, Kami knows to what lengths you'd go to hide your habit. I figure that it's better if I control it, rather than letting it control you. Now get along, I have to go check on one of the rooms. A guest is due in this evening."

Looking across the grounds, she watches as Haruka enters the inn. "Business isn't what it used to be." Granny says to herself, noting the decrease in customers even during the normal cherry blossom festival rush. Her thoughts center on a plan she considered years ago, but hadn't implemented. Slowly, a smile spreads across her face. Placing her hand on the wall, she closes her eyes and whispers, "Maybe. In a few years. We shall see, we shall see. Yes, perhaps I can ask this old place to spare a little bit of her magic for a good cause." Whistling a wordless tune, Granny walks around to the front entrance, enjoying the scent of the cherry blossoms on the wind.

**Same day, early afternoon**

Having washed and changed Haruka rushes down the stairs to the Tea House. Her three-times removed cousin Rukiyo, smiles at her as she enters. Indicating that there are customers, Rukiyo heads to the kitchen, Haruka right behind her.

"The couple at the front table wants some rice balls and miso soup. The gentleman in the corner wants some Oolong Tea with his newspaper. You take care of them while I cook up the peppered beef for the family eating in the outside table." Rukiyo tells Haruka as they close the curtain behind them.

Haruka gets the food and drinks prepared, and serves her customers. As she turns to the man in the corner, she sees that nine year old Keitaro is sitting in his usual spot in the back_. (Damn that Rukiyo! Why didn't she tell me Kei was already here? She may not like him, but he is family.)_ Throwing Keitaro a welcoming smile, Haruka quickly serves her customers so she can spend time talking with him.

Grabbing some tea and sweets from the kitchen, Haruka sits down, handing Keitaro a cup and a plate. "Sorry about that, Kei. Bag-lady Rukiyo decided to not tell me you were already here again." She says with some asperity in her voice.

Accepting the snack, he smiles as replies "That's okay Auntie Haruka, I'm kinda used to it by now. 'Sides, I'm just a kid, she has stuff she has to worry about. I'm sure she don't mean anything bad by it." Keitaro rubs the back of his neck, a habit he recently started whenever he is embarrassed by something.

Bristling like someone twice her age, Haruka tells him "You're family, Kei! She shouldn't treat you like a stranger. And how many times have I asked you to stop calling me Auntie? It makes me feel like an old woman, or even twenty years old." She says, her smile returning.

Keitaro smiles at her, a warm and generous smile he lets out only when he's near people he cares about. "Sorry. You used to say it was fun being Aunt Haruka instead of Cousin Haruka." He laughs.

Looking sideways at him, much the same way she looked at Granny earlier, "Well, the novelty wore off a year ago. Just call me Haruka, okay?" she says with her nose up in the air, her head turned slightly away from him.

Giggling, "Now you do look older. Just like Rukiyo whenever I walk in." he tells her.

Dropping her head to stare at Keitaro, Haruka asks, somewhat surprised, "What?"

Thinking he said something wrong, Keitaro bows his head. "N-nothing, Aunt Haruka."

Reaching out, Haruka lifts Keitaro's chin to look him in the eye. "Kei, I am not Rukiyo. And I'm sorry she treats you like that. I won't do it anymore, I promise. 'Kay?"

His eyes brightening, he nods his head. "Great. Understand, I ain't saying I hate Rukiyo or anything like that. But…well, I've always looked up to you, Aunt Haruka. I don't ever wanna to get on your bad side."

Ruffling his hair, she answers, "Well, I'm fond of you too, Kei. Don't ever forget that."

As an afterthought, she adds "And just so you know, when Granny gives me the Tea House this summer, you'll have to stop calling me Aunt in front of the customers or I'll…" looking around, Haruka points, "Or I'll take that paper fan on the wall over there and smack you in the head. That's another promise you can count on." Haruka smiles, with a hint of steel laughing in her eyes.

Keitaro stares as he holds his tea. "You can't do that! I'm just a kid!" He gives her a weak smile.

"Oh, really? You may be just a kid, but you're related to me. That gives me the right to smack you around if you get outta hand. Just like I have to beat you up when you try to pull my shorts off." Haruka reminds him.

Rubbing his jaw in remembered pain, Keitaro blushes. "I told you those were accidents, Haruka!"

Patting his arm, "I know. Granny says you're as clumsy as her father was when he was your age. Thankfully, she says he grew out of it, so there's hope for you. But," and here she points a finger at his face, "if you ever have an 'accident' like that again when Seta is around, I'll send you flying so hard you'll be able to count the leaves at the top of the cherry trees. Last person I want to give a show to is that baka!"

Seeing an opportunity to get back at her, Keitaro scratches his head and grins. Ticking off his fingers, he says, "Why do you care so much about Seta anyways? Aren't you always saying he's a worthless idiot, a no-account dreamer, a hopeless romantic, a kinda cute guy when he ain't tripping over his two-left feet, a…"

Haruka puts a fist under Keitaro's nose, effectively silencing him. "I never said I care about him, and if you repeat any of that to Seta I'll….." Squinting at Keitaro's face, Haruka frowns. Her eyes grow wide, and she sputters, "Oh, Spit! You didn't?"

Standing quickly, Keitaro, a cookie still in one hand, backs towards the rear door of the Tea House stalked by Haruka. Putting his hands up, he tells her "I-I'm sorry, Aunt Haruka, I've only mentioned it to him that one time on the phone, and he forced me to!" He reaches behind him and opens the door.

A vein nearly exploding on her forehead, Haruka grabs the paper fan from the wall and smacks Keitaro's head with a powerful backhanded swipe.

As he sails over the tree, Keitaro notes groggily_ (I CAN count the leaves from up here, purgh!)._

Blowing on the fan like a just-fired pistol, she watches the plume of dust rise from behind the trees. Haruka waits at the door, arms crossed, until Keitaro emerges from the cloud fifteen meters from her. Limping slightly and holding his head, he grins sheepishly at her. Weakly, he says, "Not bad, Haruka. I cleared the tree top that time."

Stepping over to take his arm and help him back into the Tea House, "Sorry about that, Kei. Just be glad I used the fan. If you'd have been Seta, I would have launched you up the hill onto the boulders around the old hot springs. No soft dirt there to land on."

"I'll 'member that next time." Keitaro nods his head in understanding.

"Try not to let there BE a next time. And don't EVER repeat anything I say about that jerk to him, okay? Well, let's get back inside. Your tea'll get cold." Haruka opens the doors and waves him back inside.

After refreshing their tea, Haruka asks, "So, how are things going with you new sister?"

Keitaro looks up. "Well, Kanako-chan is still pretty sad about l-losing her parents. I can't imagine what that must be like." he says with a shiver. "She hardly ever talks. I heard the doctor telling mom and dad she'll open up someday, but she just needs time to accept it all." Looking thoughtful, Keitaro says quietly, "I did get her to laugh and smile for me a few weeks ago."

Her eyes bright, Haruka asks "How in the world did you manage that?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Keitaro murmurs, "Well, she was sitting at the table, and mom gave her some sweet rolls. Kanako doesn't seem to like sweet stuff, so I decided to show her that they really do taste good." Gulping down some more tea, Keitaro stands up and mimes his movements. "I grabbed an old cloak, threw it over my shoulders like a vampire, and snuck up and attacked my sweet roll like I was sucking blood outta it."

Haruka nods and giggles. "I take it your plan didn't go as you expected."

Laughing a bit, "Nope. Kanako stared at me for about five seconds before she put her hands up to her mouth and started laughing, and her eyes kinda looked at me funny. When she pointed at the cloak and said 'I wanna be jus' like you!', she didn't stop laughing for almost two minutes. I kinda forgot I had a mouthfull of sweetroll, and coughed when I laughed back, getting it all over my face. Kanako really fell down then. When mom came in and looked at us, she started laughing too, and tried ta clean my face with a towel." Keitaro blushes and stops.

Laughing but recognizing his look, Haruka encourages him "And then? I can tell there's more to this story, Kei."

"W-well. Kanako grabbed the towel from mom and said 'I clean for oniisan **[AN: big brother]**, mother.' I guess that surprised mom, cuz she said 'Well, now! I guess that makes you Keitaro's imoutosan **[AN: little sister]**, then, doesn't it, Kanako?'. Kanako looked mom right in the eyes and said, 'Nope, for such nice brother and making me happy, I be his aisai' **[AN: beloved wife]**." Keitaro says, his face bright red.

Haruka, her eyes wide, ponders his statement. "I wouldn't let it bother you, Kei. She's only going on five years old. I'm sure she doesn't understand what she means."

"I hope you're right, Aunt Haruka. She followed me around like a puppy for two weeks after that." Keitaro groans. "Do you know what it's like to have your sister following you around like that? The guys at school still haven't let me off the hook about it." Keitaro looks at Haruka for a moment, and then grins. "Ah, I guess it's not something you ever had ta deal with, huh?"

Haruka sips her tea maturely. "Well, I do remember a little boy who used to follow me around all the time like that. But he lost interest in me as soon as he laid eyes on two other girls closer to his age, the little playboy." She comments wryly.

Keitaro, genuinely concerned, looks at her. "Who'd have the nerve ta do something like that to you, Haruka?"

Rolling her eyes, "You did, Kei, five years ago. You were quite the ladies man back then."

Keitaro mouth drops to his feet. "I-I couldn't be a playboy! I wouldn't do that to you, uh, would I? And, uh, what exactly is a playboy, Aunt Haruka?"

"I'll explain it to you when you're old enough to understand." Changing the subject "So, any girls at school you like?"

Keitaro grimaces. "Are you kidding? Any time I try to talk to girls I get slapped for sputtering like an idiot. And the teachers don't help by pairing me with other guys in the dance classes. Not like they have a choice; last time they had me stand with a girl for dance, I…well, you remember to story mom told you and Granny."

"Oh, you mean where you had her handprint tattooed across your face for pulling her dress off?" Haruka snickers.

"It was an accident! Shirai tossed a banana peel on the dance floor." Keitaro exclaims. "I couldn't help it when I tripped and, uh, grabbed her you-know-what. Now I think the teachers have been told to not let me get too close to girls."

Haruka smiles and teases him. "Not like you _want_ to be near girls, Kei. Or, do you?" she looks slyly at the young boy.

Sitting up straight, Keitaro sputters "No way! Everyone knows girls got cooties!"

"Including me?"

"Nah, you ain't any kinda girl, Aunt Haruka. Ow!" Keitaro rubs his head "Whyd'ya smack me for?"

"Just making sure you understand that I am too a girl." Haruka says, paper fan in her hand again, laughing at the look on his face.

"Right. And really lady-like too. Oops, sorry!" Keitaro jerks back as Haruka raises her fan.

Sighing, Haruka pouts, "Why can't you be as comfortable around girls as you are around me, Kei? It'd make your life so much easier."

Keitaro sticks his tongue out and makes a face. He has no answer for that comment.


	3. Chapter 3

**Love Hina – Before His-story**

**Fanfic **

**Chapter Three – Rukiyo and the Tea House**

**late June 1988**

**A Saturday evening**

Giving everything in the old place a once over, again, Rukiyo and Hina stand in the middle of the Tea House, Rukiyo dressed in a formal kimono. "So, is there anything I can do for you before you leave?" Hina asks, taking her younger cousin's hand in hers.

Looking around, Rukiyo smiles sadly. "No, you've done more than enough, Hina. I just need to spend time with my husband, get to know my children and grandchildren again." Glancing out the window, she whispers "And make my peace with Haruka. And Keitaro, Kami willing."

"She'll be down in a few minutes. Are you sure you don't want me here?" Hina asks "I don't mind if you need the moral support."

Shaking her head, Rukiyo tells her "No. This I either have to do on my own, or never. Haruka deserved better treatment than I gave her. My own children deserved better. Now, at least, I have a chance to set things right." sighing. To herself, she thinks _(And for what I did to Keitaro, though necessary, can there ever be forgiveness for me?)_

A tear in her eye, Hina smiles. "You've always had a good heart, Rukiyo. Don't despair over the part you volunteered to play in Keitaro's life. The boy loves you in spite of it, in his own way." Hina looks up at Rukiyo. "Trust yourself, and everything will be alright." Looking out the window, she sees Haruka coming down the stairs, wearing a formal kimono of her own. "Well, here she comes. I'll talk with you later, Rukiyo. Bring your family over next week for dinner. I haven't seen them in ages." Hina walks to the door.

Smiling with genuine gratitude, Rukiyo nods. "Yes. They will be happy to see you again, Hina. We'll be here." Holding back another tear, she watches as Hina goes out the door.

As the pass each other on the stairs, Hina puts her hand out to stop Haruka for a moment. "May I say something before you and Rukiyo perform the ownership ceremony, child?" Surprised, Haruka only nods.

"Rukiyo has run the Tea House ever since your mother died. Listen to what she has to say. There are more responsibilities to running the old place than just serving customers and cleaning up." Hina tells her. "The Tea House and the old inn are more closely tied together than just being on the same grounds. Learn from her." Hina turns and continues up the steps to the inn. "I'll fill in the details after you two are finished."

Haruka, confused, turns and finishes the walk to the Tea House.

Kneeling at the door, she knocks once and waits. The door slides open, Rukiyo kneeling on the other side. "Enter, please, and be welcome." Rukiyo says.

Haruka rises, removing her sandals as she enters the Tea House. Rukiyo slides the door closed behind her and stands.

Rukiyo, moving to the center of the room, bows, and indicates with the palm of her hand a small table. "Please sit and allow me to serve you."

Haruka bows. "I am honored to accept your hospitality." She steps over to the small table and kneels, followed by Rukiyo. As they take their places, Haruka remains silent as she watches Rukiyo prepare the light meal from the serving table beside her.

Weaving an intricate blend reminiscent of a tea ceremony and a coming of age ritual, Rukiyo wordlessly sets everything in place with delicate precision. Finishing, she nods.

Rukiyo takes up her tea and bows. "In sharing this tea, I acknowledge that you, Haruka Urashima, have learned well of the things you need to know, and are now prepared to assume the role of Master of the Hinata Tea House." She sips her tea.

Haruka takes up her tea and returns the bow. "In sharing this tea, I thank you for training me in what I need to know, and hope that my performance as Master of the Hinata Tea House brings honor to your teachings." She sips her tea.

Accepting a plate, Haruka shares a light meal with Rukiyo in silence. At the completion, Rukiyo nods, and the two stand. Moving around the table to each other's left, they exchange places, each symbolically giving up the position to their right of each other as signs of mutual respect, and as owner and customer. Haruka nods.

The two women kneel again, and Haruka serve Rukiyo tea, her first symbolic gesture as the new Master of the Hinata Tea House, in respect of the previous caretaker. They bow and drink together.

Smiling for the first time since Haruka came in, Rukiyo looks at Haruka. "I am certain that you are as pleased to have this done and over with as I am, Haruka." she says, smiling.

Haruka grins. "I've never been big on ceremonies. Granny says I'll either grow into them or not. Sixteen is kinda young to be owner of a tea house, though. Honestly, I had thought this wasn't supposed to happen until I graduated from high school."

Rukiyo hold up her hand. "Ah, be that as it may, you must not think of it that way. You are not the owner of a tea house. You are the Master of the Hinata Tea House. There are more responsibilities to this than what you may believe." Rising, she motions for Haruka to join her. Going to the back office, she takes a key from her sash and, sliding a panel aside, unlocks a hidden cabinet set in the wall.

Haruka is stunned. She had thought that the secret cabinet being opened before her would hold operating funds or business document. To her surprise, she see stack after stack of books, carefully preserved, going far back into the deep enclosure. Rukiyo takes her hand and places it on the lowest shelf. "These are the guest books of Hinata Lodge, going back for hundreds of years. Many great persons have stayed here, as well as many, many more good and decent common people. We have never distinguished between the great and the meek. On many occasions, the Urashima family has allowed those in great need to stay here, either for their own safety, or the safety of the land. When warranted, we have refused to charge for those who could not afford it, saying that it was our honor to be of assistance when the need was great."

Haruka nods silently. She knew some of the history of Hinata, but this was news to her.

Rukiyo indicates some bundled scrolls. "For a time, the Urashima clan guarded Hinata City from marauders and pirates. You know the secret passages and rooms you and Keitaro play in?" she asks.

Haruka nods, confused. "Yes, but we thought no one else knew we were in there. We always thought they were abandoned apartments."

Rukiyo shakes her head. "Those rooms were used to hide and protect people from harm, and to store the great wealth and artifacts of Hinata City in times of peril." Her hand on the large roll of papers, she continues. "These are maps of those passages. It is safe to assume you and Keitaro did not discover all of them, as some are concealed behind secret openings. These show the way."

Haruka, starting to become more and more like the confused sixteen year old girl she is than the calm, mature appearance she tried to project, asks. "But, wh-why is all of this here? Why doesn't Granny keep it safe up at the lodge?"

Rukiyo touches the side of her nose. "That is the first place people would look to find them, if they knew these still existed, or their purpose, Haruka. The Tea House hasn't always been a tea house." Seeing the look on Haruka's face, she smiles. "Long ago, the sentries that were tasked with the main defense of Hinata-sou and the Urashima Clan were stationed from here." Haruka takes a quick intake of breath.

Rukiyo smiles again. "Ah, you didn't know that, did you? Hinata has not always been a lodge for tourists. It was, and still is, the ancestral dwelling of the head of the Urashima Clan. It was a wise and benevolent elder that converted our ancient home into a place of refuge, and eventually a lodge, long before Hina was born. It was, in fact, during the Edo Period, near the beginning of the 17th century, the daimyo, the feudal lord of Hinata, Keichitawa Urashima, first admitted weary travelers fleeing from the repression that began the Sakoku, the Isolation Period." Rukiyo pauses a moment to let Haruka absorb the story of their family.

"Where the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu [AN: First Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate] placed the Samurai above all other people, Keichitawa Urashima protected and gave relief to the common people. It was only by his loyalty to the Sei-i Taishōgun, the leaders of the Tokugawa clan, that this was permitted, and Hinata prospered under Keichitawa's wise administration; agriculturists, artisans, merchants and smiths thrived in this area of Japan."

Haruka interjects, "That explains why this was a prime merchant port, until Tokyo overtook it!" Haruka says, sudden understanding causing her to interrupt a story she very much wanted to learn. "Oops," seeing the look on Rukiyo's face "sorry."

Rukiyo smiles and continues, "You are correct, Haruka. After the Sakoku ended, many persons travelled here to relearn lost ways from the specialists here, and the elders of the Urashima clan at that time encouraged those same specialists to travel across the length of Japan, re-introducing lost skills where ever they were needed. Many of the skilled craftsmen and craftswomen found new homes and families far from here, but they were not begrudged, as they served a greater purpose, returning knowledge to people who had lost or forgotten it, helping to revitalize many communities."

Haruka sputters at this. "I-I never realized! I just thought we were a slightly well-to-do family in an off-the-trail township. Why isn't this common knowledge?" she asks, her face reflecting the fact of her youth.

"We as a family do not dwell on past accomplishments. The Urashima's have always tried to live without undo pride, serving in the benefit of those in need, and to look to the future. We do take pride in what we have done, but that does not swell us with false bravado in being who we have been, and are today."

Placing her hands on another stack, Rukiyo continues. "These are the ledgers to the old sealed annex. The Master of the Tea House still has a responsibility to guard that place, and you must be willing to accept it, no questions asked. If you feel unready or unwilling, you may still back out even at this point, and Hina will take over the Tea House."

Haruka, struggling to process all the information she has just received, looks Rukiyo in the eye. "I would have accepted the Tea House before, as an inheritance from my mother. But now, I see that it is more than that." Standing straight, the sixteen year old proudly tells her relative, "I am ready."

Smiling, Rukiyo places her hand on Haruka's young shoulder. "Hina always believed you would accept. So. The sealed annex. You know that you've always been told it is old, run-down, and not worth renovating, isn't that so, child?" she asks.

Haruka nods. Rukiyo goes on, "Well, that is not entirely true. Run-down it may appear, but, as far as we know, the inside is just as it was when our family had it sealed it nearly a hundred years ago. The annex has a powerful magic about it, and these guest books are a testament to it."

Her hand again on the bound journals, Rukiyo goes on, "Each of the couples whose names appear in these books married within days, if not hours, of spending one night in the annex. One night! Even men have been bound to men, and women to women, against their wills. It is not called the Marriage Annex because couples went there AFTER they were married. They got married BECAUSE they spent a night there."

Haruka looks at Rukiyo and shakes her head. "Okay, I can understand the stories about shoguns, daimyos, samurais and all that. But, a magic building? Did Granny make up this story for you to tell me?" she asks, crossing her arms and trying to look older than her sixteen years.

Rukiyo shakes her head. "No, child. The power of the annex is real. In the beginning, its power was used to allow willing, true lovers to be bound together for a lifetime. Not that the couples were always prosperous, mind you, but the love they shared endured."

Still not convinced, the young girl asks sarcastically "Right. So, how did our family get a magical building in the first place?"

Rukiyo tilts her head and eyes the young girl until she squirms under her gaze. "That's better. Now, how it got the power is unsure, but legend says that at one time it was a small, off the trail inn, sitting by itself, long before Hinata-sou was built on the lands around it. Sometime during the feudal era, a wandering monk, known to be a powerful man in exorcising demons, married his true love, a fellow demon hunter, there. Thankful for the bond they had formed, they returned later, and together as husband and wife they used their spiritual powers in a ceremony that lasted five days and five nights to bless the building. Since that time, many lovers, young and old, chose to be joined together, or renew their bonds to one another there. It was said no couple, after staying a night in the inn, ever faltered in the love they had for each other for the rest of their lives."

"Unfortunately, it was inadvertently discovered that the magic was not limited to those who were in love. It was then abused to arrange political marriages against the will of the participants. They would be locked inside at nightfall, and in the morning, whether they shared a room or not, they would be in love with each other, and were married."

Rukiyo holds up several of the books as she looks at Haruka. "But it was not true love, but love forced upon them by the magic of the annex. That is why it has been sealed. The Urashima clan had carefully tended the use of the annex until the fact of its power was discovered and corrupted, about one hundred and seventy years ago. At that time, the Emperor others of the court started sending couples there to end the feuds between warring clans and to arrange politically expedient marriages. An easy solution for the ruling nobles and warring families. But, in many cases, it meant separating a young person from the one they loved, to be swayed by the power of the annex to marry another."

"Many suicides were committed by former lovers when the ones they cared about would no longer even acknowledge them. Such unhappiness could not be allowed. Near the end of the last century, the head of the Urashima clan begged and was granted permission from the Emperor to have the Shinmei priests of Kyoto seal the building. That is because its magic prevented it from being torn down. So, sealed it was, and those seals were applied over a lock placed there by the head of the Urashima clan."

Reaching to the wall beside the cabinet, Rukiyo presses a nearly invisible, non-decrepit panel, and a small opening appears. Inside are several sets of keys, one in particular looking long unused and tied to a wooden ema tag.

"This is the key to the lock of the annex. Only by an Urashima using it can the seals be broken, and the annex reopened. Which must not be allowed to happen. Therefore, you are now the protector of the magic of the annex." Rukiyo closes the panel, showing Haruka once more how to open it. "Guard that key well. The other keys are for the various out-buildings of the Lodge, and some of the concealed rooms beneath Hinata. They are under your control as well."

Seeing the look on Haruka's face, Rukiyo smiles. "Let's make some coffee. I think we could both use a strong cup."

As the sit at the desk a few minutes later, drinking coffee together, Rukiyo continues.

"That is about everything that I need to tell you about the Tea House. More will be revealed by Hina, and by the journals in that cabinet." Pausing a moment, Rukiyo drinks some coffee, her throat suddenly dry. "On a more personal level; I told you earlier that we Urashima's do not pride ourselves on the past, but on what we do now, what effect we have on those around us, remember?" After another sip of coffee, she looks Haruka in the eyes and says, "Take Keitaro, for instance."

Haruka bristles involuntarily, in spite of her new understanding of Rukiyo and her own place in the Urashima family. She had always resented the callous treatment Rukiyo gave Keitaro.

Raising her hand, Rukiyo halts Haruka before she can speak. "I see in your eyes that my mannerisms towards him did not go unnoticed. Understand, what I did was necessary. And entirely of my own free-will." She says, bowing her head to look at the desk. "I was asked to accept that task from Hina soon after Keitaro was born. She sensed in him a rebirth of the warmth and goodness of past leaders of our family. It was necessary to test him young, before he grew old enough to mask his true feelings."

Rukiyo lifts her head and Haruka sees tears in her eyes, along with a genuine but utterly sad smile. "I had to treat Keitaro with disdain and unkindness, to see if he would return the feelings and treatment, or forgive the coldness he received from one he should have expected better from, being a relative. To my delight as an Urashima, but to my personal shame, he always smiled and f-forgave me. He is indeed full of a k-kind, gentle and understanding spirit, as Hina says her father, yours and Keitaro's great-grandfather Keiske, was."

Haruka reaches out as the older woman sobs gently. "Oh, Haruka! I love that boy, too. I grieve now that his memory of me will be of a shallow and unfeeling relative, even if he has forgiven me in his heart."

Haruka tentatively pats Rukiyo on the shoulder until her words sink in. Icieness drips down her back as she asks, "Wh-what do you mean, his memory of you? Can't you just explain it to him?" Haruka picks up a box of tissues from the counter and, with hands trembling as she begins to understand where all this is leading, holds it out to the older woman. "K-Keitaro may have spoken of how you treated him, but he's never held any anger towards you. He ain't like that. Just talk to him. I'm sure he'll . . " she stops as Rukiyo, her head bowed , raises a hand.

After taking a few deep breaths, Rukiyo sits straight and accepts a tissue from Haruka. Her still moist eyes meeting those of the young girl, she sadly states, "Haruka, I fear I do not have time for a full and true accounting of my actions to Keitaro, for the years of emotional mistreatment he endured from me. Haruka, I . . I'm dying."


End file.
